Biden Moves to Protect US Coasts from Offshore Drilling

President Joe Biden has announced plans to prohibit new offshore oil and gas drilling in most US coastal waters. Using the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, Biden aims to protect key coastal areas from future leasing. Environmental advocates support these efforts amid ongoing climate change concerns.

President Joe Biden has launched an initiative to ban new offshore oil and gas drilling in most of the United States' coastal waters. This marks a significant move in his climate agenda as he prepares to leave office, aiming to thwart any attempts by the incoming Trump administration to expand offshore drilling.

The decision, made using the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, will safeguard areas along the East and West coasts, parts of the northern Bering Sea in Alaska, and the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Biden's action follows longstanding objections from coastal communities and environmental groups who argue that such drilling poses irreversible risks.

Despite these protections, significant portions of the Gulf of Mexico, a hub for offshore drilling in the US, remain unaffected. The directive could present challenges for President-elect Donald Trump, who previously wavered on the extent of offshore drilling amid public opposition. Environmentalists have welcomed Biden's decision as a crucial step in addressing climate change.

(With inputs from agencies.)